Shri Shibu Lai, one of the founders of Infosys, delivered the keynote address at the ICT Academy annual day. He summarized Infosys's growth from its founding in 1981 by 7 people to a current market cap of $30 billion. Some of the key points he made included that the 7 founders stuck together through challenges to build the company, they were guided by a vision of global respect, values are most important during difficult times, quick exits are detrimental to building great companies, and execution is more important than ideas or strategy.

1. 20 Jan. 2 017
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Trinity College of Engineering, Trinity Hills, Near Pravachambalam, Trivandrum 695 528
ICT Academy Annual Day
Shri. Shibu Lai
Shri Shibu Lai, one of the founders of Infosys
delivered the keynote address during the ICT
Academy annual day. He summarised the
growth trajectory of the company with current
market cap of $30 Billion. Some key points:
1. They were 7 founders in 1981. They stuck
together for the long haul to grow the com­
pany. Though on almost all matters, the 7
would have 17 opinions, they built consensus
and deferred final decisions to Narayana
Murthy who was senior.
2. Their vision to be globally respected was
truly guiding. Though it was kind of funny that
7 young men sitting in India were guided by
respect, it helped set values.
3. Values are easy to keep during good times, but the real strength is sticking to them in tough times.
4. Quickly startup founders fall apart in many cases leading to premature death of companies.
5. The obsession of youngsters today with exit plans through acquisi­
tions and mergers is detrimental. Great companies take time to build.
Perhaps decades. They cant be grown if the focus is on exit.
6. Ideas are dime a dozen. Execution is what matters. Strategy matters
only 5% and execution is 95% and that takes a lot of discipline.
7. They obsessed with quality immensely never cutting corners. Clients
could easily see this.
8. What the top level cannot do, lower levels will never do. So value
system should begin from the top uncompromisingly.
9. Finally, to succeed you need lots of luck as well on top of all the hard
work, values and discipline.
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